Method of manufacturing tanks



June 4, 1946. c. s. BROWN I METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING TANKS O'riginal Filed Jlme 5, 1942 Fir l AM mw MM mf .rm V /r u m5. a.. 5CH l. j f C W., ily/PAQ to the tank after the fusion Patented June 4, 1 946 2,401,606 METHOD F MANUFACTURING TANKS Carl S. Brown, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Glascote Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application June 5, 1942, Serial No. 445,845. Divided and this application January 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing a jacketed tank or kettle. More particularly, this invention is concerned with an improved method of manufacturing a jacketed container or tank of a type using a heat transfer medium, such as a hot or cold fluid or vapor, which is circulated in the region between the tank and the jacket to effect a heating or chilling of the contents of the tank. These, therefore, are

- the general objects of the present invention. The

present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 445,845, led June 5, 1942.

Jacketed tanks or kettles are in extensive use at the present time to heat or cool plastic mixtures or fluids, for instance, in dairy processing and chemical plants. In many instances the materialsto be treated are such that it is preferable to use metal tanks, the size of which may vary from two or three gallons to two or three thousand gallons. Many materials to be treated are of such a nature that it is desirable to coat the interior of the tank, either for sanitary purposes or to prevent corrosion or `other chemical reaction of the tank itself. It has been found that a very ecient form of coating comprises a comparatively thin layer of fusible material, such as glass, which may be fused to the internal surfaces of the tank. In such tanks the jackets are applied of the coating has been completed.

To facilitate the circulation of the uid or vapor heat exchange medium in the jacket, it has been found advantageous to utilize a series of partitions or bailles which extend transversely from the inner wall of the jacket wall to the exterior Wall of the tank. These baliles are so arranged that when the heat exchange medium is forced through the jacket it will be circulated through a passageway or passageways formed by the baffles and thus insuring circulation throughout theentire area of the jacket and contact with the entire surface of the tank.

When the tanks are coated internally with a fusible material, it has been found dicult to position the bailies between the jacket and the tank so as to insure the desired circulation. This is partially due to warping of the tank when it isheated to fuse the coating thereto. Likewise, after the coating has been fused to the tank it is no longer practical to attach the baflles to th'e wall thereof, because of the danger of cracking or` otherwise spoiling the coating.

Because `of these difculties, baliles have been generally omitted from `the jackets of coated tanks.` In the few instances where they have been used, they have been secured to the internal wall of the jacket and the tank then lowered into position in the jacket. To permit such positioning of the tank within the jacket, these Serial No. 472,329

bellies are so constructed as to leave a considerable space between the outer Wall of the tank and the innerzedge of the baffle such' as would accommodate a maximum amount of warpage of the tank. While this clearance between the baffle and the walls of the tank permitted the lowering of the tank into the jacket, :it seriously impaired the elfect of the baille. Therefore, a more specic object of the present invention, is to provide a method of manufacturing a jacketed tank which will permit the use of baiiles in coated tanks and yet overcome the disadvantages above set forth.

Other advantages and objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred l embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The

novel features of the invention marized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a jacketed tank or kettle constructed in accord with the present invention, certain parts thereof being` broken away to more clearly illustrate the will be suininternal construction; Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are fragmentary vertical sections taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. l and illustrating respective steps in the method of manufacturing the tank; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the baffles in place, certain portions being broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a slightly modified method of securing the balile in place.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the tank e illustrated therein comprises a cylindrical open topped metal tank I0 substantially closed at its lower end and provided with an internal coating I I of a material which has been fused 'to the internal surface of the tank. Prior to the fusing of the coating, flanges I2 and I4 are applied to the exterior of the tank adjacent its upper and lower ends respectively. These flanges facilitate the securing of a hollow metallic jacket I5 to the kettle as, for instance, by welds I6 and I1 without affecting the fused coating I I. At one end of the tank, as for instance the bottom, the jacket is provided with an inlet I8 and at the other end, as for instance adjacent lthe top, the jacket is provided with an outlet I9. The inlet and outlet are so arranged as to accommodate conduits, generally indicated at `241 and 2|, where` by a iluid heat transfer medium may be forced into the space between the jacket and the tank.

To insure contact between the circulating heat transfer medium and al1 areas of the tank, baille members are provided. These baffles, as shown, comprise plate-like members which extend transversely between the internal surface of the jacket and the external surface of the tank. Generally there are a'seri'es of these bailies, for instance indicated at a, 25h, 25C, and 25d, in Fig. 1. Each baiile member extends around the tank and is spaced above or below the adjacent Ybaille member to provide circulation passageways. Alternate baiiies are provided with openings or gaps at alternate sides of the tank. For instance, lthe baffle 25a is provided with a gap or opening 26a at the right hand side of the tank (Fig. 1),where as, the baffle 25h is provided with a gap 2Gb at the opposite side of the tank, thus causing the heat transfer medium to circulate from one passageway to another, as indicated by the arrows 21 in Fig. l. These baffles may extend diametrically around the tank ras 'indicated in Fig'. 1, or they may comprise a single Ibetilie member spi ralled around the tank to form a continuous spiralled passageway from the Vinlet tothe outlet.

In the latter instance, the openings or gaps 25Go in the bailles are then omitted.

The `bailles -25 are carried as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, vby a support 36. 'This support comprises an angle, one leg 3| of which is secured to the interior of the jacket, as for instance, fby welds 32 and the other leg 33 of which extends inwardly from the jacket toward the tank wall I9, a distance somewhat over half of the distance between the inner surface of the jacket and t-he outer surface of the tank wall. The leg 33 of the supportcarries a plurality of segmental baille mem'- bers' or plates 40 which are arranged to be slid inward along the support into contact with 'the tank wall as shown at 4| in Figs. 2 tov5. vThese arcuate baffle plates 40 are spaced a slight distance from each other as indicated at -4-2 (Fig. 5)

, to permit them to be moved freely inwardly without `binding one against the other. Secured to each baille plate adjacent its ends are upwardly extending ears or llugs 64 which are threaded to receive the bolts 45. The jacket I5 is provided with a series of openings 46 aligned with the openings in the lugs 44 and through which the bolts 45 may be passed permitting vthem Ito be inserted in the lugs from'the exterior of t-he jacket. u n

In assembling the structure,.the bales '4U and the v.positioning bolts 45 are mounted in the jacket in the position shown in Fig. 2. The kettle or tank I0 is then lowered into the jacket and the bolts 45 pushed forward until the inner end of the respective baffle plates abut the outer wall of the tank (Fig, `3), whereupon the boltsv are turned until the heads 4l thereof substantially abut the outer wall of the jacket. The heads 4l of these bolts are then welded in position as indicated at 48 on Fig. 4, thus securing the bolts in position and sealing the openings `4t in the jacket wall.

inasmuch as the baiie plates 40 yare segmental, it is obvious that they may b'e moved into intimate contact with the external surface of the tank and will substantially compensate for any warping of the tank which causes variations in the distances between the tank and the jacket at various points as indicated by the broken lines in Figs. 2 and 3. f

In Fig. 6, I have shown va modified method of construction wherein the bafiie plates 40a are laid von the supports 30 and spot-welded in place by means of a welding rod 5l which has been passed through the opening vv46' of V:the jacket wall.

After the welding takes `place 'a suitable plug or cover member may be welded to the outer surface 'of the jacket as indicated at 52, to make the jacket `liquid tight. A tool, such as a rod 53, may be inserted in one of the openings and used to hold the baffle in place while it is being spotwelded at the 'saine or another point. While the form shown in Fig. 6 may perhaps seem more economical in construction, it has been found that the preferred form, namely, that using the positioning bolts has the advantage of facilitating repairs to the tank if such be needed. The heads of the bolts may be severed from the jacket wall by a cutting torch, whereupon theY tank may be removed 'from thejacket. rIlhe bolts may then be removed A"and replaced with others following therepaii1 ofthe unit. u

The jacket may be welded to the "tank 'flanges l2 `and 44 in the usual manner, either before or after the baiiles have been positioned, thus 'providing a very e'icient tank which, ldue "to ythe number of individual `arcuate bailie units, enables them to maintain comparativel'yclose co'ntact with the wall of the tank despite discrepancies in the shape of the tank, 'thus insuring a high degree -of circulation of -the heat transfreV ring medium and thereby greatly increasing the efficiency of the tank.

From the 'foregoing `description i't will be seen that I have provided an efficient and lniijlv method for manufacturing jacke'ted tanks. While the ymethod is particularly advantageous in the manufacture of glass lined, yenameled v'and other coated tanks, it is nevertheless advantageous in manufacturing unco'ated tanks, especially tanks of large diameter, as in all suchtanks it is difficult to provide cylindrical iorniaticns with as high a degree o'f accuracy as permits 'the tank to 'be inserted 'in a baiiied jacket and yet maintain contact between the bafiies and the tank. Y f *i I claim: f

1.v The method of making a ja'cketed tank Anai/" ing spaced `inner and outer shells with circum-l ferentially extending fluid bailles extend-ing ra-di ally land bridging the gap between Itlie two shells comprising securing a cii'cum-f-erentially extend# ing radially projecting balile 'to Vthe inner' w'all of an outer tan-k shell, mounting a vicilurality of segmental extensions "on said baffle, positioning 'al preformed inner tank 'shell within the outer shell,

and subsequently moving said extensions"ir'idi-v vidually into contact with the vouter 'wall of the innerY shell, to thereby completely bridge the gap between the two shells. 2. The method of linaking a jacketed tank lhay ing spaced inner and outer shells 'with a sub-v stantially circumferentially extending radially projecting fluid -b'aflle bridging the gap between the two shells comprising forming an inner shell andan outer shell, securing to the inner wall of theouter shell -a circumferentially extending iiiwardly projecting baie of less widthY than the minimum `distanceV between -the two shells; mounting a .plurality of segmental-extensions on said tbaiiie, thereafter positioning the `inner shell within the outer sheirand subsequently moving the extensions into contact with the inner shell and securing them in place. f Y CARL S: BROWN. 

